China to prosecute Australian casino staff
Print Edition
THREE Australian casino employees detained last month on suspicion of violating strict Chinese gambling regulations will be prosecuted, China confirmed yesterday.
The three employees of Crown Resorts Ltd, who are being held in Shanghai, were formally arrested last Friday “on suspicion of gambling,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a news briefing in Beijing.
Geng did not offer details on the allegations they face.
On Tuesday, Australia said it had received formal arrest notices from China.
Casino gambling is illegal on the Chinese mainland and agents are banned from organizing groups of more than 10 mainland citizens to gamble abroad.
Gaming companies are not allowed explicitly to advertise gambling on the mainland.
Under Chinese law, anyone who “runs a gambling house or makes gambling his or her profession” can face up to three years in prison.
The companies have been known to skirt the ban by touting destination packages rather than gambling, particularly as the ongoing corruption crackdown has deterred some gamblers from the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau.
The three Australians include the head of Crown’s VIP International team, Jason O’Connor, who was visiting China from company headquarters in Melbourne when he and the others were detained in October.
Fifteen Chinese employees of Crown were also detained, but the status of their cases is not known.
Crown operates casinos across Australia and the world, including in Macau, where revenues have been hit hard by the corruption crackdown that has driven away many big-spenders.
In October, Crown said “less than half” of its international VIP revenue, or about 12 percent of its total, came from Chinese high-rollers.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said consular staff visited all three on Tuesday.
“They are in good health, they are all represented by lawyers and we were able to provide advice and support and messages from their families,” she said. “It is a very difficult circumstance, but we will continue to provide whatever advice and support that we are able.”
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